Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

In this 4th Sunday of Advent we hear Matthew's account of the announcement of the birth of Jesus, which focuses on the perspective of Joseph. St. Joseph's anguish over what to do in light of Mary's unexpected pregnancy is pretty clear. There is a deep suffering there. What we may forget is what he will need to sacrifice in taking Mary into his home: He tacitly acknowledges that the child is his, and he sacrifices his good reputation. But Joseph is unwavering in his obedience to God, and he receives in return his bride and child.

In today's Gospel, the disciples of John the Baptist, who is in prison, deliver a surprising message to Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?" All of the saints carried the Cross of Jesus, as he promised they would. St. John the Baptist's was not only suffering imprisonment and martyrdom but also the painful experience of the darkness of doubt. John shows us what we must do when our soul is suffering: Bring it to Jesus. He will illuminate the darkness, as he does today for John.

On the 2nd Sunday of Advent we are reintroduced to the strange and wonderful figure of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel tells us that people left the Holy City and traveled into the desert wilderness to be baptized by John. Inspired by this pilgrimage to the Jordan River, we reflect on three practical ways we can prepare our hearts to be ready for God.

Our Gospel reading for this 1st Sunday of Advent focuses us on Jesus's Second Coming, and he compares it to the flood of Genesis. He says that people were going about their business, doing their normal tasks, and suddenly they were swept away. This is the mean of when Jesus gives us the image of the two men in the field and the two women grinding at the mill. One is taken and the other is left. There is no external difference between the one taken and the one left. The difference is internal: One was ready for the Lord; one was not. Which one will I be when He comes for me?!

It's interesting for us as Americans to celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King because our very identity as Americans is based on the rejection of kingship. If the experience of our forefathers told them that submission to a king limited their freedom, then wouldn't we ourselves be suspicious of any outside claim on our autonomy and freedom? But indeed, this is what the Church teaches we owe Christ our King: Our time, our money, our freedom and relationships; in a word, we owe Him everything. The good news is that Christ does not operate in the same way that earthly kings operate. He does not "need" anything from us to increase his power. But the more that we hand everything over to our king, the more power and freedom and fulfillment he gives us!